Beef Chow Fun

Description:

Brown sugar added to black bean-garlic sauce is what gives this stir-fry its unmistakable Chinese takeout flavor. The recipe for beef chow fun works equally well with tofu for a vegetarian meal or boneless, skinless chicken breast. Serve with sliced cucumbers tossed with rice vinegar, sesame seeds and a pinch of salt.

Ingredients:

8 ounces wide rice noodles, preferably brown-rice noodles (see Notes)

1/2 cup Shao Hsing, or dry sherry (see Notes)

4 teaspoons black bean-garlic sauce, (see Notes)

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons light brown sugar

2 teaspoon cornstarch

4 teaspoons canola or peanut oil, divided

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 12-ounce bag fresh Asian stir-fry vegetables, (about 5 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup water, divided

8 ounces sirloin steak, cut into thin slices

Preparation:

1

Fill a large nonstick skillet with water and bring to a boil. Add noodles and cook, stirring frequently, until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes or according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water and transfer to a large bowl. Wipe the pan dry.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Add ginger and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 1 to 3 minutes. Add vegetables and 1/4 cup water; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender-crisp, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to the bowl with the noodles. Wipe the pan dry.

4

Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak and cook, stirring, until browned, 1 to 3 minutes. Stir the reserved sauce and add to the pan; cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes.

5

Return the noodles and vegetables to the pan along with the remaining 1/4 cup water; cook, tossing to coat with the sauce, until heated through, about 2 minutes more.

Tips:

Notes: Look for dried wide rice noodles, sometimes called “Pad Thai noodles” or “straight-cut,” in the Asian-food section at most supermarkets and natural-foods stores. Annie Chun brand now makes brown rice noodles that are becoming more widely available. We like to use them in place of regular rice noodles because they have 4 grams of fiber per serving versus 0 grams in noodles made with white rice.Shao Hsing, or Shaoxing, is a seasoned rice wine. It is available in most Asian specialty markets and in the Asian section of some larger supermarkets. Sherry, a type of fortified wine originally from southern Spain, is an acceptable substitute. Don’t use the “cooking sherry” sold in many supermarkets—it can be surprisingly high in sodium. Instead, get dry sherry that’s sold with other fortified wines at your wine or liquor store.Black bean-garlic sauce, a savory, salty sauce used in Chinese cooking, is made from fermented black soybeans, garlic and rice wine. Find it in the Asian-foods section of most supermarkets or at Asian markets. Refrigerate for up to 1 year.